Military Tactical Power Programs Undergoing Rapid Change

Rising commercial investment, coupled with evolving military views on energy efficiency, is driving rapid change within the US Military’s tactical power space. "In my view we are in a period of very rapid change and technological advances in the tactical power program, due to the amount of commercial investment in the issue but also because the military is focusing on the potential improvements in operational capability and the efficiency improvements of new technology," according to Colonel (ret) James Lasswell, USMC, Technical Director, Marine Corps. Warfighting Laboratory. COL Lasswell said that the engine for a host of technological advancements have been initially driven by the commercial market and then adapted for military applications, rather than representing government/military investment. "If it was government/military alone we would not be making anywhere near the strides we are making now," he said. "The advancements in battery and power management technologies that have been driven by the IT market—specifically the cell phone and PDA markets—have had an immediate application in our land mobile radios, micro-UAVs, sensors, etc." Similarly, he said, advancements in renewable energy have in many cases been driven by the commercial "green power" market, but the military has adapted those advances for its own applications. [eventPDF] For example, the use of renewable energy at forward operating bases and for dismounted forces has, in some cases, led to an immediate reduction in the amount of fuel and batteries that have to be hauled forward across IED-defended roads, with benefits that have "been obvious from both a tactical effectiveness as well as efficiency (business case) perspective," he said. Although COL Laswell acknowledged that while the technology explosion in the commercial market has been a significant driver of technological advancement, the military’s increased receptiveness to improved energy efficiencies has been another factor. "The dramatic improvement in acceptance within the military regarding energy efficiency has been a force multiplier," he said. "It wasn't too long ago when we could not engender interest among operational commanders in the issue of energy efficiency, but that has changed because of demonstrable results in the introduction of new technology." The military’s shift in perspective regarding energy efficiency grew out of a couple of different factors, he said. "In my view, the shift was in part a matter of general recognition of how much it was costing us to convoy fuel and water over IED-intensive road networks in Iraq and Afghanistan," said COL Lasswell. Specifically, he said, the Services conducted a concerted effort in 2009 to gather metrics on the FOB power and water requirements at representative locations and then used them to assess how much it was costing. "There is no doubt it was partly efficiency but also effectiveness when we figured out how much of a tactical limitation our logistics demand was presenting to our commanders," he said. COL Lasswell says another key issue is assessing the current and future technology direction of low peak power. In planning for the power requirements at FOBs and in acquisition, he noted that the focus tends to be on peak power requirements, which by definition is a greater power requirement than is needed all the time. For example, a FOB might have a number of systems each with its own generators, all of which are operating at less than 10% efficiency the vast majority of the time. The same would be true of computers, radios, and peripherals. According to COL Lasswell, the Marine Corp. is now attempting to shift the focus to average power loads and then build in the ability to ramp up for peak load requirements, rather than the other way around where there is a gearing down to average power loads. The challenge of low peak power, he said, is also driving a look at different modes of power generation and storage. "Sometimes a combination of generation and augmenting with power from storage like batteries is a much more efficient mode of dealing with peak power," he said. "At our most recent experimental forward operating base Experimental FOB we looked at Auxiliary Power Units on vehicles augmented by batteries for storage and management systems to look at how we can use both independently and in tandem to deal more efficiently with peak power needs." COL Lasswell added that there is a need to improve the energy efficiencies of all types and size of vehicles. "In the Warfighting Lab we are focused on the tactical level so have been looking at our Group 1 UAS—those that are under ~20 pounds and support our battalions and below—for example. We need greater endurance than we currently get and have been looking specifically at fuel cells and other advanced battery technologies as a means of getting it. At ONR and DARPA there are programs looking at new engine technologies such as an ONR's Stirling engine adaptation for expeditionary power generation at the 1-5kw levels of generation. DARPA is also funding development of new engine types for use in unmanned systems that could make a large difference in size and endurance of both land and air vehicles." COL Lasswell said that the military attempts to partner with industry in these areas through a number of different means. One effort is through the Army’s Science & Technology (S&T) Program, he said, "which seeks to develop and mature technology that will enable transformational capabilities in the Future Force while pursuing opportunities to accelerate technology maturity for transition into Current Force systems. This strategy is achieved through sustained investments in a balanced S&T portfolio that simultaneously funds innovative basic research, applied research and advanced technology development." Other partnering efforts, he said, can be found in the Experimental Forward Operating Base or "ExFOB" program, which defines particular interests in Requests for Information (RFI), as well as the Requests for Proposals (RFP) in acquisition commands. Colonel (ret) James Lasswell, USMC, Technical Director, Marine Corps. Warfighting Laboratory will be speaking at IDGA’s 9thAnnual Tactical Power Sources Summit: Improving Energy Efficiency for the Warfighter Support Structure, to be held from Jan. 23-25, 2012 in Alexandria, Vir.

Military Tactical Power Programs Undergoing Rapid Change

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